Web threat

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A web threat is any threat that uses the World Wide Web to facilitate cybercrime. Web threats use multiple types of malware and fraud, all of which utilize HTTP or HTTPS protocols, but may also employ other protocols and components, such as links in email or IM, or malware attachments or on servers that access the Web. They benefit cybercriminals by stealing information for subsequent sale and help absorb infected PCs into botnets.

Contents

Web threats pose a broad range of risks, including financial damages, identity theft, loss of confidential information/data, theft of network resources, damaged brand/personal reputation, and erosion of consumer confidence in e-commerce and online banking.

It is a type of threat related to information technology (IT). The IT risk, i.e. risk affecting has gained and increasing impact on society due to the spread of IT processes. [1] [2] [3]

Reaching path

Web threats can be divided into two primary categories, based on delivery method – push and pull. [4] Push-based threats use spam, phishing, or other fraudulent means to lure a user to a malicious (often spoofed) website which then collects information and/or injects malware. Push attacks use phishing, DNS poisoning (or pharming), and other means to appear to originate from a trusted source.

Precisely-targeted push-based web threats are often referred to as spear phishing to reflect the focus of their data gathering attack. Spear phishing typically targets specific individuals and groups for financial gain. In other push-based web threats, malware authors use social engineering such as enticing subject lines that reference holidays, popular personalities, sports, pornography, world events and other hot topics to persuade recipients to open the email and follow links to malicious websites or open attachments with malware that accesses the Web.

Pull-based web threats are often referred to as “drive-by” threats by experts (and more commonly as “drive-by downloads” by journalists and the general public), since they can affect any website visitor. Cybercriminals infect legitimate websites, which unknowingly transmit malware to visitors or alter search results to take users to malicious websites. Upon loading the page, the user's browser passively runs a malware downloader in a hidden HTML frame (IFRAME) without any user interaction.


Growth of web threats

Giorgio Maone wrote in 2008 that "if today’s malware runs mostly runs on Windows because it’s the commonest executable platform, tomorrow’s will likely run on the Web, for the very same reason. Because, like it or not, the Web is already a huge executable platform, and we should start thinking of it this way, from a security perspective." [5] [ unreliable source? ]

The growth of web threats is a result of the popularity of the Web – a relatively unprotected, widely and consistently used medium that is crucial to business productivity, online banking, and e-commerce as well as the everyday lives of people worldwide. The appeal of Web 2.0 applications and websites increases the vulnerability of the Web. Most Web 2.0 applications make use of AJAX, a group of web development programming tools used for creating interactive web applications or rich Internet applications. While users benefit from greater interactivity and more dynamic websites, they are also exposed to the greater security risks inherent in browser client processing. [6] [ unreliable source? ]

Examples

In September 2008, malicious hackers broke into several sections of BusinessWeek.com to redirect visitors to malware-hosting websites. Hundreds of pages were compromised with malicious JavaScript pointing to third-party servers. [7]

In August 2008, popular social networking sites were hit by a worm using social engineering techniques to get users to install a piece of malware. The worm installs comments on the sites with links to a fake site. If users follow the link, they are told they need to update their Flash Player. The installer then installs malware rather than the Flash Player. The malware then downloads a rogue anti-spyware application, AntiSpy Spider. [8] by humanitarian, government and news sites in the UK, Israel and Asia. In this attack the compromised websites led, through a variety of redirects, to the download of a Trojan.

In September 2017, visitors to TV network Showtime's website found that the website included Coinhive code that automatically began mining for Monero cryptocurrency without user consent. [9] The adoption of online services has brought about changes in online services operations following the advancement of mobile communication techniques and the collaboration with service providers as a result, the online service technology has become more conductive to individuals. One of the most recent mobile technological wonders The Coinhive software was throttled to use only twenty percent of a visiting computer's CPU to avoid detection. [9] Shortly after this discovery was publicized on social media, the Coinhive code was removed. [9] Showtime declined to comment for multiple news articles. [9] [10] It's unknown if Showtime inserted this code into its website intentionally or if the addition of cryptomining code was the result of a website compromise. Coinhive offers code for websites that requires user consent prior to execution, but less than 2 percent of Coinhive implementations use this code. [11] German researchers have defined cryptojacking as websites executing cryptomining on visiting users' computers without prior consent. [12] With 1 out of every five hundred websites hosting a cryptomining script, cryptojacking is a persistent web threat. [12]

Prevention and detection

Conventional approaches have failed to fully protect consumers and businesses from web threats. The most viable approach is to implement multi-layered protection—protection in the cloud, at the Internet gateway, across network servers and on the client.

See also

Related Research Articles

Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botnet</span> Collection of compromised internet-connected devices controlled by a third party

A botnet is a group of Internet-connected devices, each of which runs one or more bots. Botnets can be used to perform distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, steal data, send spam, and allow the attacker to access the device and its connection. The owner can control the botnet using command and control (C&C) software. The word "botnet" is a portmanteau of the words "robot" and "network". The term is usually used with a negative or malicious connotation.

Internet security is a branch of computer security. It encompasses the Internet, browser security, web site security, and network security as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet is an inherently insecure channel for information exchange, with high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, ransomware and worms.

Norton Internet Security, developed by Symantec Corporation, is a discontinued computer program that provides malware protection and removal during a subscription period. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features include a personal firewall, email spam filtering, and phishing protection. With the release of the 2015 line in summer 2014, Symantec officially retired Norton Internet Security after 14 years as the chief Norton product. It was superseded by Norton Security, a rechristened adaptation of the Norton 360 security suite.

In computer security, a drive-by download is the unintended download of software, typically malicious software. The term "drive-by download" usually refers to a download which was authorized by a user without understanding what is being downloaded, such as in the case of a Trojan virus. In other cases, the term may simply refer to a download which occurs without a user's knowledge. Common types of files distributed in drive-by download attacks include computer viruses, spyware, or crimeware.

BrowseAloud is assistive technology software that adds text-to-speech functionality to websites. It is designed by Texthelp Ltd, a Northern Ireland–based company that specialises in the design of assistive technology. BrowseAloud adds speech and reading support tools to online content to extend the reach of websites for people who require reading support. The JavaScript-based tool adds a floating toolbar to the web page being visited. The service is paid for by the website's publisher; and is free to website visitors.

Watering hole is a computer attack strategy in which an attacker guesses or observes which websites an organization often uses and infects one or more of them with malware. Eventually, some member of the targeted group will become infected. Hacks looking for specific information may only attack users coming from a specific IP address. This also makes the hacks harder to detect and research. The name is derived from predators in the natural world, who wait for an opportunity to attack their prey near watering holes.

Defensive computing is a form of practice for computer users to help reduce the risk of computing problems, by avoiding dangerous computing practices. The primary goal of this method of computing is to be able to anticipate and prepare for potentially problematic situations prior to their occurrence, despite any adverse conditions of a computer system or any mistakes made by other users. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general guidelines, as well as the practice of specific computing techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clickjacking</span> Malicious technique of tricking a Web user

Clickjacking is a malicious technique of tricking a user into clicking on something different from what the user perceives, thus potentially revealing confidential information or allowing others to take control of their computer while clicking on seemingly innocuous objects, including web pages.

Form grabbing is a form of malware that works by retrieving authorization and log-in credentials from a web data form before it is passed over the Internet to a secure server. This allows the malware to avoid HTTPS encryption. This method is more effective than keylogger software because it will acquire the user’s credentials even if they are input using virtual keyboard, auto-fill, or copy and paste. It can then sort the information based on its variable names, such as email, account name, and password. Additionally, the form grabber will log the URL and title of the website the data was gathered from.

Trusteer is a Boston-based computer security division of IBM, responsible for a suite of security software. Founded by Mickey Boodaei and Rakesh K. Loonkar, in Israel in 2006, Trusteer was acquired in September 2013 by IBM for $1 billion.

Avalanche was a criminal syndicate involved in phishing attacks, online bank fraud, and ransomware. The name also refers to the network of owned, rented, and compromised systems used to carry out that activity. Avalanche only infected computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Mobile security, or mobile device security, is the protection of smartphones, tablets, and laptops from threats associated with wireless computing. It has become increasingly important in mobile computing. The security of personal and business information now stored on smartphones is of particular concern.

Browser security is the application of Internet security to web browsers in order to protect networked data and computer systems from breaches of privacy or malware. Security exploits of browsers often use JavaScript, sometimes with cross-site scripting (XSS) with a secondary payload using Adobe Flash. Security exploits can also take advantage of vulnerabilities that are commonly exploited in all browsers.

SmartScreen is a cloud-based anti-phishing and anti-malware component included in several Microsoft products:

Trojan.Win32.DNSChanger is a backdoor trojan that redirects users to various malicious websites through the means of altering the DNS settings of a victim's computer. The malware strain was first discovered by Microsoft Malware Protection Center on December 7, 2006 and later detected by McAfee Labs on April 19, 2009.

A web shell is a shell-like interface that enables a web server to be remotely accessed, often for the purposes of cyberattacks. A web shell is unique in that a web browser is used to interact with it.

Internet security awareness or Cyber security awareness refers to how much end-users know about the cyber security threats their networks face, the risks they introduce and mitigating security best practices to guide their behavior. End users are considered the weakest link and the primary vulnerability within a network. Since end-users are a major vulnerability, technical means to improve security are not enough. Organizations could also seek to reduce the risk of the human element. This could be accomplished by providing security best practice guidance for end users' awareness of cyber security. Employees could be taught about common threats and how to avoid or mitigate them.

Cryptojacking is the act of exploiting a computer to mine cryptocurrencies, often through websites, against the user's will or while the user is unaware. One notable piece of software used for cryptojacking was Coinhive, which was used in over two-thirds of cryptojacks before its March 2019 shutdown. The cryptocurrencies mined the most often are privacy coins—coins with hidden transaction histories—such as Monero and Zcash.

A Highly Evasive Adaptive Threat (HEAT) is a cybersecurity attack type designed to bypass traditional network security defenses. HEAT attacks are designed to find ways around protections that have been in place for years. HEAT attacks are able to bypass typical cybersecurity controls, such as Secure Web Gateways (SWG) and anti-malware capabilities, through malicious links disguised as common URLs that victims assume are safe. HEAT attacks go beyond traditional phishing methods, which have historically been delivered by email, by inserting themselves into links that are not flagged by anti-phishing software. Similar to most cybersecurity threats, the drivers of HEAT attacks are primarily monetary and political. HEAT attacks focus on technical limitations of commonly deployed security tools with the primary target being web browsers. Nation-states and cybercriminals typically use HEAT attacks for phishing attempts or ransomware initial access.

References

  1. ↑ Cortada, James W. (2003-12-04). The Digital Hand: How Computers Changed the Work of American Manufacturing, Transportation, and Retail Industries. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 512. ISBN   0-19-516588-8.
  2. ↑ Cortada, James W. (2005-11-03). The Digital Hand: Volume II: How Computers Changed the Work of American Financial, Telecommunications, Media, and Entertainment Industries. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-516587-6.
  3. ↑ Cortada, James W. (2007-11-06). The Digital Hand, Vol 3: How Computers Changed the Work of American Public Sector Industries. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 496. ISBN   978-0-19-516586-9.
  4. ↑ Trend Micro (2008) Web Threats: Challenges and Solutions from http://us.trendmicro.com/imperia/md/content/us/pdf/webthreats/wp01_webthreats_080303.pdf
  5. ↑ Maone, Giorgio (2008) Malware 2.0 is Now! from http://hackademix.net/2008/01/12/malware-20-is-now/
  6. ↑ Horwath, Fran (2008) Web 2.0: next-generation web threats from http://www.it-director.com/technology/security/content.php?cid=10162
  7. ↑ Naraine, Ryan (2008) Business Week site hacked, serving drive-by exploits from
  8. ↑ Danchev, Dancho (2008) Compromised Web Servers Serving Fake Flash Players from http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/2008/08/compromised-web-servers-serving-fake.html
  9. 1 2 3 4 Liao, Shannon (2017-09-26). "Showtime websites secretly mined user CPU for cryptocurrency". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  10. ↑ Jones, Rhett (25 September 2017). "Showtime's Websites May Have Used Your CPU to Mine Cryptocoin While You Binged on Twin Peaks". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  11. ↑ Leyden, John (27 February 2018). "Opt-in cryptomining script Coinhive 'barely used' say researchers". The Register . Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  12. 1 2 Musch, M., Wressnegger, C., Johns, M., & Rieck, K. (2018). Web-based Cryptojacking in the Wild. arXiv preprint arXiv:1808.09474.
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